Where Would You Be?
by SkippyPanda
Summary: Things are always getting in the way of Ranma and Akane's relationship. But where would they be if it weren't for all those misunderstandings and obstacles? Would they be together? Or a million miles apart? My very first piece. Forgive me I was young.


**Title**: Where Would You Be?

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Ranma or this song that Martina McBride sings...

**AN**: I don't usually listen to country... but then again I don't usually write mooshy song fics either ah well! What the hay! Don't kill me. This was my first piece of fan fiction.

**Original** **Date**: 05-17-02

---

Ranma shuffled his shoes on the moonlit sidewalk, scuffing the bottom of them carelessly.

It was all their parents fault.

Stupid meddling parents and their stupid attempts to unite the schools had made them end up on this stupid, stupid . . . dare they say it . . . date.

_Together_.

**Alone**.

Nabiki had made sure of that. Of course, the particulars weren't revealed to them... but Nabiki _did_ have her ways. Everyone knew that much.

So here they were, stuck together and alone and probably being spied on at the moment by a pair of overly hopeful fathers or seething fiances.

Ranma could not have imagined a more idiotic way of getting tricked into taking Akane out. Genma had slyly coerced Ranma, claiming boldly (and quite loudly) that Ranma could never properly take a girl out on a date. A heated argument insued. He went on to attribute this to Ranma's inability to truly be a "man among men". Ranma, of course, being the bull-headed, arrogant idiot he is, just had to prove how he could do _anything-- _and that meant anything-- he was challenged to do. And that included taking _any_ girl on a date.

He hadn't counted on Akane being that girl.. and to say the least _and_ the most at the same time,

Akane hadn't counted on it either.

Nonetheless, here they were.

They had gone out for a movie that had ended around ten, a successful choice in that it had distracted them both from arguing over anything petty. The movie was action packed and full of explosions. Ranma wouldn't have had it any other way. Otherwise he would have fallen asleep ten minutes in. Now with the movie over, they had agreed to walk around for a while and kill some time. Part of the agreement with his father included staying out until eleven. _A whole hour_.

---

_I wonder where your heart is  
Cause it sure don't feel like it's here  
Sometimes I think you wish  
That I would just disappear_

---

Ranma glanced over at Akane from the corner of his eye. She was gazing at the stars distractedly. They hadn't said much to each other all night. It was probably for the better since any conversation between the two ended up being an argument.

It was always like that. But Akane seemed so reserved. It was kind of unlike her. It was like they were in two different worlds right now. Maybe she was just mad she had gotten stuck with him all night. It was kind of unfair. After all, it wasn't her honor that had been challenged. She'd just been dragged into it by their scheming fathers.

She probably would be much happier by herself.

Without him.

He couldn't suppress the release of a deep sigh filled with frustration and tainted with regret. She must hate him.

---

_Have I got it all wrong  
Have you felt this way long  
Are you already gone_

---

Had she always hated him?

She must.

She hated his "perverted nature" as a boy.  
She hated his teasing and name calling.  
She hated his arrogance and his martial arts ability.  
She hated their engagement.

She hated everything about him... or maybe he was wrong.

Maybe he had a chance. She was nice _sometimes_.

He had to admit he had a talent for saying the wrong thing... for putting his foot in his mouth every time he opened it to speak to her. That first day he had walked into their house though, she had asked if he, or rather she at the time, wanted to be friends.

Ranma didn't have many friends to say the least. Sure he had tons of people trying to kill him or chasing after him... but they weren't really friends. Maybe Ryouga. He snorted inwardly at the thought. Right... his number one rival. Ukyo? He definitely knew their relationship, at least from her point of view, crossed the boundaries of friends. _A friend_. It was nice to make a friend instead of another enemy. That was when he was a girl though. She didn't seem to want to be friends as soon as she found out he was guy, not to mention that they were engaged. It seemed any chance he'd ever had of being her friend was lost, so far gone that there was no retrieving it now.

He'd lost it. Lost it with all his dumb insults and prideful reluctance to say almost anything nice to her.

And now... he'd probably never get it back.

But then again... weren't they friends now?

---

_Do you feel lonely  
When you're here by my side  
Does the sound of freedom  
Echo in your mind_

---

He stole another glance at her.

She looked like she felt all by herself. She probably would have preferred to be at least. She was probably counting down the minutes till they would go home, and she could get rid of him, escaping into the easy solitude of her room.

She didn't want to be near him. And when she was, it didn't matter much. They couldn't have a civilized conversation anyway.

They could never be friends. They were just two separate people that happened to be walking next to each other. They might as well not have known each other's names.

---

_Do you wish you were by yourself  
Or that I was someone else  
Anyone else_

---

He was sure she must hate him.

No matter what he did she always found a reason to be mad at him. She would be happy if she were just engaged to someone else.

Anyone else.

Anyone but him.

Ryoga maybe. Heck, she'd probably be happier with Kuno. Maybe not. _Surely_ he was better than Kuno. Kuno didn't insult her though. He didn't tell her how uncute she was or remind her frequently how horrible her cooking was or how she could never be half the martial artist as his other fiancés. But Kuno? He shook his head.

Suddenly, he realized Akane wasn't next to him anymore. He turned around.

---

_Where would you be  
If you weren't here with me  
Where would you go  
If you were single and free  
Who would you love  
Would it be me  
Where would you be_

---

She had stopped a few feet behind Ranma, her eyes lingering on the ridges in sidewalk.

"Where are we going?" she thought, not really referring to the moonlit path they were walking on.

She had been thinking about them all night. She and Ranma that is.

They were 18. College was coming.

Would he decide to leave her? Would he go with one of the other girls?

Or would he maybe . . .choose her . . .

She wouldn't say it aloud, but there was a small part of her that hoped he would.

If it weren't for their fathers, would he still be here? If it weren't for their engagement, would he be somewhere else?

Probably.

He'd probably get out of here as fast as his legs could carry him across the rooftops (which is pretty fast) if it weren't for his damned honor.

If it weren't for the engagement, or engagements rather. She really didn't know.

She realized she had stopped and now a pair of gray blue eyes were on her.

"Akane?" he asked simply. His expression was questioning, searching, curious.

She didn't know what to make of it all. Shades of amber met an ocean of blue as she lifted her head up from the cool pavement that was shadowed by the night sky. Where was this going?

---

_I don't wanna hold you back  
No, I don't wanna slow you down  
I don't wanna make you feel  
Like you're all tied up and bound_

---

She didn't want to keep him here against his will.

That was unless he wanted to be here... but how could he? All she ever did was hit him and yell at him about how he always insults her.

How could he ever want to stay here... with her. She didn't want to make him feel like he had to stay because of their engagement, which she was sure he didn't want. Even if his other engagements remained, it pained her to think that she was holding him here.

Their engagement was a burden . . . and for all she knew, she was a burden, too.

He always had to run out and save her from some prince or demon, not of his own free will of course. She was just another one of his problems.

---

_Cause that's not what love's about  
If there's no chance we could work it out  
Tell me now  
_

---

Her mind was screaming now, as her eyes remained locked with his.

Why did it hurt her so much? Why was it so hard to let him go? Why couldn't she let his other fiancés just have him? Why couldn't she do it?

"Because you love him," a voice in her head whispered what she had already known.

Love him? How could she love him?

He was a self-centered, chauvinistic, conceited, womanizing, stupid, opinionated, ignorant jerk and . . . she loved him.

It was like one of those cheesy soap operas, where Claudia still loves Stephan even if he's always saying the wrong thing. She wanted to rip her hair out for being so ridiculous.

She loved him even if he did have faults because . . . everyone did have some faults.

She loved him because sometimes... sometimes when she least expected it, he was sweet and thoughtful and not such a jerk anymore.

Maybe... just maybe there was still a chance that she could win him back.

Maybe there was a chance that he could... love her too.

---

_Where would you be  
If you weren't here with me  
Where would you go  
If you were single and free  
Who would you love  
Would it be me  
Where would you be_

---

His mind was a whirl, lost in those dark, chocolate orbs. Why were they still standing here? He had hoped she would say something.

Anything.

Even if it started a fight between them. Anything to release him from the silence and tension that had swept through the night air between them. Why was she just standing there?

"Akane?" he tried again, attempting to bring her out of her daze. She blinked twice. "Somethin' wrong?" he inquired cautiously, praying his comment wouldn't spark another argument.

"No . . ." she stated plainly, staring off into the distance.

---

_Have I become the enemy  
Is it hard to be yourself in my company_

---

"Yeah right..." he rolled his eyes, not believing a word of it since there was _clearly_ something wrong with her. Usually she was beating the crap outta him by now.

You know. The usual.

He may be dumb (yes he knew he wan't exactly the brightest crayon in the box), but he wasn't _that_ stupid. How could she think he wouldn't see through her façade? She was upset about something!Lord knows it was probably him anyways.

"What's that suppose to mean!" Akane sizzled, her fists clenching and fingernails digging into her skin as her temper got the better of her.

"Well obviously there's somethin' wrong with you since you're not acting like your usual tomboy self!" He replied his voice full of its usual cockiness but a bit harsher than he had intended. Her stubbornness was definitely getting to him now. Why couldn't she just tell him what was wrong already?!

"Well it's not like you care anyways, you selfish jerk!" she fumed, her hands trembling in rage.

"Ha! Like anybody could ever care about a clumsy, uncute tomboy like you!" he shot back with his usual stinging remarks.

"Stop calling me that!"

"Why? Because it's true!?"

She wasn't looking at him anymore. She had turned away. Her fists weren't clenched anymore. Instead, they hung by her sides.

The air was stained with tension again.

Then her voice came, a piercing whisper through the breeze, "Why do you hate me so much...?"

---

_Where would you be  
If you weren't here with me_

---

Ranma's eyes softened as he was over come by... guilt.

She thought... he hated her?

"Akane..." He heard his voice cut through the stillness as he stepped toward her.

"Akane... I... don't... I don't hate you..." the last few words faded into the thick night air.

She let out a small laugh, one that was woven and intertwined with threads of the hurt and pain that she really felt. Unlike the usual happiness that accompanied her laugh, this was one was . . . empty.

"You don't hate me...?" she questioned, her voice tainted with a mixture of grief and frustration. She turned around now, her skirt swishing around her knees, the glittering stars brightening the highlights in her hair, and smooth skin looking so pale next to her ebony locks.

Even in the faded light, Ranma could see the unshed tears gathered, a trace of hope glistening in her amber eyes.

---

_Where would you go  
If you were single and free_

---

Man, they were close.

How did the gap between them get so small? Five minutes ago, they might as well have been in separate worlds, but now they were inches apart.

He could see confusion written across her features, apparently because of his previous statement.

"Akane..." he tried again. How was he supposed to say this?

"I don't hate you... at all..." Dammit! Why couldn't he just say what he really meant?

"I mean... what I really wanna say is..."

Ranma let out a small, frustrated sigh and unconsciously twiddled with his fingers. Damn. He was nervous! Wait! How could he be nervous at a time like this? It was just Akane... right? The same Akane that he had lived in the same house with since he was sixteen. Why? Why was it so hard to say this to her right now?

When she needed to hear it.  
When he needed to hear it.

Now.

And he wasn't sure he could tell her.

He just stood there, staring at her. Her eyes, her hair, her skin, her lips-Did he mention they were close? Very. Close. Ranma gulped and looked back at her eyes...

And he saw anguish... and tears that were threatening to overflow at any minute if he didn't say something soon.

---

_Who would you love  
Would it be me_

---

Dammit Ranma! Just say it already!

She knew what he was going to say.

He was trying to break it to her gently. Try and keep her from getting upset.

It was too late though. She was already upset... because somewhere in the back of her mind she knew it would happen.

From all the signs.

From all the times he called her uncute.

From all the times he insulted her cooking.

From all the times they ever fought.

He didn't like to see girls cry and he didn't like to hurt them. But she couldn't stand to keep instilling false hope in herself.

She needed to hear it now.

---

_Where would you be_

---

"Akane . . ." Ranma spoke finally, his hand coming up to her face. Her skin smooth and pale underneath the moonlight.

If it had been any other time he probably would have commented on how she should go to the beach more often because she looked like a marshmallow... but now...

"Akane . . . I . . ."

---

_If you weren't here with me_

---

He would never say it...

He couldn't.

But if he didn't... she would leave him...

And he wouldn't be able to stop her this time.

He couldn't.

---

_Where would you go  
If you were single and free_

---

He would never say it.

She knew it.

She had known it all along.

He... just didn't love her.

She looked down, determined to hide the tears that were beginning to slip down her cheeks.

He couldn't.

---

_Who would you love_

---

A calloused hand brushed her soft skin dry.

"I'm sorry..." he breathed, his warm breath exceedingly close to her lips.

She'd known it would end up this way. He wouldn't say it.

He couldn't.

---

_Would it be me_

---

Then his lips were on hers. And suddenly there wasn't enough air in the whole world for her to breathe. She felt as if she was drowning. Drowning... but she wasn't worried. Ranma was with her and he wouldn't leave her. Even if he couldn't say it... she knew.

---

_Where would you be_

* * *

**AN**: O.O... I've never written one of these... I started this story... then I forgot about it and it got left on my computer for about a month or two... so I finished it. It's actually... worse than I remember. I wonder how I wrote such moosh. Umm... review...critique me...help me... tell me where I went wrong . just drop a lil note or something... I'm shutting up! Thanks for reading this!

-SP


End file.
